Not-so-Fun-Fact: A UTI Can Make You Think You’re Crazy! #AzoGirl

I received AZO products from Smiley360 Blogger Circle in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Let’s talk urinary tract infections (UTIs)! Fun, right? If you’ve ever had one, you know the answer to that is a big fat “NO!” I’ve been lucky. I’ve only had two that I can actually remember. I’m pretty sure those are the only two I’ve had because, wow, do I remember them! The first one was after my son was born. I had a c-section and was on bed rest, so they had to do a catheter for a good 36 hours. The second time was after a straight cath during a laparoscopic procedure. For those who don’t know what that is, the basically just put a tube into your bladder to empty it out, then take the tube out. It’s quick (and they did it when I was knocked out, so it was painless), but it still gives the chance for bacteria to enter your urinary tract.

Basic Facts about UTIs

I’m not going to go into great detail about what a UTI is because I think most people already know. Basically, it’s an infection in your urinary tract. That includes your bladder, kidneys, urethra. Typical symptoms include burning pain during urination, reduced urinary flow, increased urge (but with very little relief) and pain in the pelvic area. UTIs affect women more often than men. We have a shorter urethra, so bacteria doesn’t have to travel far to reach its destination.

In most cases, a UTI is successfully treated with antibiotics and doesn’t cause many problems. If it reaches your kidneys, things get a bit more dicey. Still, generally speaking, UTIs aren’t deadly. They may feel deadly, but they have a pretty low fatality rate! Untreated UTIs, on the other hand, can pretty much wreck your kidneys. If you suspect that you have a kidney infection, get it checked out.

Surprising fact about UTIs that I learned the hard way

My first UTI was pretty textbook as far as symptoms went. It was obviously a UTI. I knew it right away based on the symptoms, and that was before I had any nursing experience. My second one, though, was strange! It was during the power outage from Hurricane Sandy. You remember that, right? I spent 8 days crying because I was cold, hungry, bored and convinced the electric company forgot about me. It happened a week after my surgery. About 6 days into the outage, we were at the local Red Cross setup for showers. I came out of the shower, walked to the common area, and promptly almost fainted. I assumed I was having a panic attack. I thought I was going crazy, actually. I was dizzy, disoriented and feeling completely disconnected from reality.

The Red Cross volunteers actually had to call an ambulance! My mom (who lives with us) stayed with my son (who reaped the benefits of being the poor little boy who’s mommy almost lost consciousness, and let me tell you, that child milked it for all it was worth!) while I went down the road to our local ER. The first thing they did was test for a UTI. I told them I didn’t have any symptoms. That’s when I found out that a UTI can mimic dementia and cause confusion!

That’s right, a seemingly simple bladder infection can actually make you think you’ve gone ’round the bend. Of course, I am pretty sure I went round that bend a long time ago, but I’ve always had at least a cursory grip on reality! Typically, this symptom is seen in the elderly. Sometimes it’s the only sign of a UTI in them. I’m not even close to elderly, but aside from abdominal pain (which I attributed to my recent surgery), I didn’t have any other symptoms. Then again, it was a crazy time and I may just not have noticed them.

Where does AZO fit into all of this?

Chances are, if you have a UTI, you have pain. That’s pretty typical and a reasonable expectation. Most pain relievers, however, do not target urinary pain. AZO Urinary Pain Relief actually contains phenazopyridine hydrochloride, an active ingredient that doctors recommend for urinary pain. AZO Urinary Pain Relief helps reduce the symptoms of a UTI, so you can get back to your regular life. Just keep in mind that it does not treat the UTI itself no more than a fever reducer treats the source of a fever. You’ll still need to see your doctor!

AZO also makes handy Urinary Tract Infection Test Strips so you can test yourself at home. Again, this is not a substitute for visiting a doctor. It’s handy, though, if you have recurrent UTIs and want to know if you’re dealing with another one.

You know that drinking cranberry juice is supposed to help prevent UTIs, right? Well, what if you’re like me and really just don’t enjoy cranberry juice? AZO makes Cranberry supplements to help flush out your urinary tract and keep it clean.

For those of you prone to the other dreaded “down there” infection, AZO also makes a homeopathic yeast infection relief medicine. Again, it’s important to get checked out by a doctor, but the AZO yeast does help relieve the symptoms associated with the infection.